building healthy communities by getting oregonians outdoors.

We know that time outdoors can improve health, but not everyone has access to safe, welcoming natural places. Rural communities, communities of color, low-income communities, people with disabilities, and other groups face barriers to spending time in the outdoors and are also more likely to experience health disparities than white, middle- and high-income people.

Our mission as the Oregon Health and Outdoors Initiative is to improve health and the environment for all Oregonians by increasing access to and engagement with nature among communities experiencing inequities.

We're working to achieve our vision of an Oregon where all people feel a deep connection with the outdoors, resulting in better health, stronger communities, and flourishing natural places. We do this by offering resources, tools, and technical support to health and outdoor providers and program leaders who are helping bridge the gap between nature and well-being. Our work is guided by equity, collaboration, learning, stewardship, and listening.
 

Check out the links below to see the work we're doing to help improve health equity outcomes in Oregon:

OUR projects

The Oregon Health and Outdoors Initiative has worked with a variety of community partners and nonprofits across the State of Oregon to reduce health inequities through increased outdoor access. In tandem with communities of color, low-income communities, rural communities, and Oregonians with disabilities, we've been able to empower local communities to take health outside. Read more about what we're doing across the state: 

Adaptive Camping

We partner with Adventures Without Limits, Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, and OR State Parks & Recreation to get more people with mobility disabilities out in nature.

chiloquin green schoolyard

Working with partners like the Klamath Tribes, The Trust for Public Land, and Chiloquin Visions in Progress, we’re developing a green schoolyard for Chiloquin Elementary School.

featured project: greener parks for health

Green infrastructure as a tool to build community health equity.

Climate change is having measured effects on the livability of our communities, especially affecting the community health outcomes of low-income communities. How can increasing green space and developing green infrastructure help make communities more resilient, and what policies can we change at the local, state, and federal levels to make green infrastructure the easy choice?

We’re working with The National Recreation and Park Association on their Greener Parks for Health campaign, developing communications-, advocacy-, and policy-related resources that help communities make the case for sustainable development through green infrastructure.. 

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